So when she brought out a book for adults, I was eager to learn more. After reading the synopsis however, my reaction was a crestfallen "Oh...". The small town political backdrop didn't seem like it would really grab my attention. Maybe it's because it wasn't fantasy, and the idea of an "ordinary, this-could-happen-in-real-life" plot seemed like a huge leap away from Hogwarts and magical animals. It took me a while to get around to reading this book, and I'd kind of forgotten about it until I was browsing books on the Kindle store for something new and came across it again.
The Casual Vacancy consists of snippets of the lives of those living in Pagford (not sure if this is a real place or not...), and a place on the outskirts known as the Fields. It begins with the death of Barry Fairbrother, a local councillor which sends shockwaves through the community, and lots of speculation begins on who will take his place on the council. As the book develops, we learn more about the residents of the town and the skeletons in all of their closets. A housewife seemingly bored of her husband-driven life lusts over a member of her daughter's favourite boyband, a drug-fuelled mother is ignorant to her suffering children, a tough young girl dreams of better things but never fully realises them. All the characters connect with each other in some way, and I found myself wanting to find out more. It was the first book in a long time I've had trouble putting down!
It was so stark and realistic (and often very depressing in parts), but J K Rowling once again managed to create a world within the narrative that I could visualise so clearly. It was like being shown a small town from above when everything looks pretty and clean and ordinary, and then swooping down right into the centre and getting into the nitty gritty details of people's lives.
If you like a book that's focused on character developments rather than actual storyline (which I'm a bit of a sucker for), then pop this on your reading list.
